Social Networking
Social Networking has enhanced education in a variety of ways. Commonly used as a networking tool for collaborating, sharing ideas and resources, and communication between teachers, students, and parents, Twitter offers a variety of useful applications in short bursts. I began using Twitter in 2016, when I first attended the GA Educational Technology Conference. I quickly discovered that Twitter would allow me to connect to the people who were already influential in my teaching. I decided to reserve Twitter as a professional social network- I don’t follow any family or friends, just colleagues and acquaintances who have had an impact on my career. When I first started using Twitter as a Professional Learning Network (PLN) I followed the presenters from the conference who intrigued me, as well as, the many bloggers and websites that I use as resources for teaching secondary mathematics. Almost every resourceful website has a social media link, which makes it easy to follow an innovator. Although, I would not describe myself as a daily Twitter user, I do enjoy reading my news feed (at least weekly) to see what great new ideas are being shared. My 7 favorites to follow include math teachers @misscalcul8, @MathMathBaby, @jreulbach, and technology innovators @CoolCatTeacher, @AliceKeeler, @lesliefisher, and @ShakeUpLearning. These ladies share ideas, resources, and entertaining conversation on a regular basis. Besides being used as a PLN, Twitter can be an effective means for communicating with students and families. Our school uses Twitter to share school news and sports updates.
Podcasting
Podcasts are something that I have used in the past for listening to radio segment that I missed but enjoy, like the Burt Show. I’ve previewed a few educational podcasts too, like Teacher Talk Live. I really like how most of the podcasts that I found empower educators and give ideas to use in the classroom. There may have not been many that I found geared towards use for my students in the mathematics classroom, but in many ways the podcasts were more like a way to change one’s pedagogy about specific topics or to offer inspirational ideas and resources.
Previously, my views on podcasting limited it to entertainment purposes, but educational podcasting can be rather useful. Not only can students listen to content on a podcast, but they are also notified whenever a new podcast is available through the use of RSS feed. Students can save time searching for podcasts, and are able to listen on-the-go, whenever it is convenient for them. Podcasts can also be student-created to show their understanding in the classroom and demonstrate their knowledge. In Mathematics, podcasting would help students to articulate their thought process and problem solving strategies. Podcasting supports student creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking by helping students reach the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy and incorporate the ISTE standards for technology integration and learning (Bradbury, 2019). In education, podcasts are used to integrate audio and video into classroom instruction and learning activities. Teachers can use podcasts to explain concepts and students can use podcasts to demonstrate mastery. For example, a teacher might ask a student to create a podcast to show mastery of a unit standard. The student, in turn, might create a “newscast interview” to explain the concepts to their audience. Student creativity is allowed while mastery is determined in a win-win situation.
Podcasting can also support students with diverse learning needs. From the auditory learner who needs to hear it several times, the visual learner who needs to see it and replay it while creating visuals, to the kinesthetic learner who needs to move while learning, podcasts offer the continuum of time. Students can learn on their own time, in their own ways. It can also help students with special learning needs. For example, I currently teach a student who struggles with day-to-day recall. I have taught this student for the last year and a half in Mathematics, so I feel like I know him pretty well. He can learn a concept, complete all of the practice problems, and ace a checkpoint on the same day- but, on the next day, if you ask him to complete a warm-up problem without an example, he cannot do it. For this student, his warm-up consists of him reviewing the notes from the previous day. He knows to go straight to the notes, and he is learning to keep them organized. Podcasting, however, could be a more effective way for him to access those highlights quickly. He could simply click play to listen to vocabulary and concepts that we have been learning, as well as prompts to access the correct page of notes needed.
When deciding on a topic for my very first podcast, I decided that I wanted to be able to share anything through my podcast, including emotions, triumphs, and struggles. I named my podcast “Confessions of a Math Teacher” and categorized it as inspirational or self-improving. I feel as though it will give listeners a different perspective on teaching. As the topic for my first podcast, I decided share the three main web resources that I’m using to implement distance learning as a result of the Coronavirus that has crippled societal norms across the globe this year. My first podcast is below!
Previously, my views on podcasting limited it to entertainment purposes, but educational podcasting can be rather useful. Not only can students listen to content on a podcast, but they are also notified whenever a new podcast is available through the use of RSS feed. Students can save time searching for podcasts, and are able to listen on-the-go, whenever it is convenient for them. Podcasts can also be student-created to show their understanding in the classroom and demonstrate their knowledge. In Mathematics, podcasting would help students to articulate their thought process and problem solving strategies. Podcasting supports student creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking by helping students reach the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy and incorporate the ISTE standards for technology integration and learning (Bradbury, 2019). In education, podcasts are used to integrate audio and video into classroom instruction and learning activities. Teachers can use podcasts to explain concepts and students can use podcasts to demonstrate mastery. For example, a teacher might ask a student to create a podcast to show mastery of a unit standard. The student, in turn, might create a “newscast interview” to explain the concepts to their audience. Student creativity is allowed while mastery is determined in a win-win situation.
Podcasting can also support students with diverse learning needs. From the auditory learner who needs to hear it several times, the visual learner who needs to see it and replay it while creating visuals, to the kinesthetic learner who needs to move while learning, podcasts offer the continuum of time. Students can learn on their own time, in their own ways. It can also help students with special learning needs. For example, I currently teach a student who struggles with day-to-day recall. I have taught this student for the last year and a half in Mathematics, so I feel like I know him pretty well. He can learn a concept, complete all of the practice problems, and ace a checkpoint on the same day- but, on the next day, if you ask him to complete a warm-up problem without an example, he cannot do it. For this student, his warm-up consists of him reviewing the notes from the previous day. He knows to go straight to the notes, and he is learning to keep them organized. Podcasting, however, could be a more effective way for him to access those highlights quickly. He could simply click play to listen to vocabulary and concepts that we have been learning, as well as prompts to access the correct page of notes needed.
When deciding on a topic for my very first podcast, I decided that I wanted to be able to share anything through my podcast, including emotions, triumphs, and struggles. I named my podcast “Confessions of a Math Teacher” and categorized it as inspirational or self-improving. I feel as though it will give listeners a different perspective on teaching. As the topic for my first podcast, I decided share the three main web resources that I’m using to implement distance learning as a result of the Coronavirus that has crippled societal norms across the globe this year. My first podcast is below!